Hawaij Roasted Carrots with Mung Beans

Hawaij roasted carrots with mung beans and preserved lemon yoghurt

I use preserved lemon in the yoghurt, but if you can also substitute with fresh lemon zest and a few squeezes of lemon juice.

serves 4-6

500g (1 pound) small carrots, tops trimmed and scrubbed

1 tsp chopped preserved lemon (or juice of ½ lemon)

handful of coriander, finely chopped

¾ cup mung beans, rinsed

handful toasted almonds, toasted

handful mint and coriander leaves

1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges (to serve)

sea salt and black pepper

Hawaij yoghurt marinade

2 tbsp hawaij

1 clove, finely grated

½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

extra virgin olive oil

sea salt

Preheat oven to 220˚C/425°F.

Mix hawaij, garlic, yogurt, and a big drizzle of olive oil (2-3 tablespoons) in a large bowl until smooth; season with salt. Add half of the yoghurt mixture to the carrots and toss to coat. Reserve the rest of the yoghurt for serving.

Place the carrots in a single layer on a large baking try. Roast for 25-30 minutes, turning once or twice, until the carrots are tender and charred in spots.

Meanwhile, place the mung beans in a medium saucepan and cover with 5cm (2 inches) of water. Season the water with 2 big pinches of salt. Place on medium-high heat and bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 25-30 minutes until tender. Drain.

Add the preserved lemon to the remaining yoghurt and mix to combine.

Combine the mung beans with the carrots and toss to combine. Season with sea salt and black pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Drizzle with preserved lemon yogurt and scatter over the almonds, mint and coriander. Serve with lemon wedges.

Roasted Butternut Squash, Lentil and Pickled Shallot Salad

This salad is an homage to the Court Street Grocer VegItalian Combo. It's got the butternut, the olives, the rocket but is given the Arthur Street Kitchen-treatment with the addition of lentils, quick pickled shallots and my own secret mayo sauce. The result is a damn tasty salad. If you want the Court Street Grocers VegItalian experience, shove it all into a crusty bread roll ;))

Serves 4

Gluten free

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1.25cm (½ inch) slices

extra virgin olive oil

½ cup lentils (black or green), rinsed

10 green olives, pits removed

10 wrinkly black olives, pits removed

2 cups baby rocket (arugula) leaves

sea salt and black pepper

Quick pickled shallots*

1 small French shallot, very finely sliced

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp sugar

Special sauce

½ cup whole egg mayonnaise

1 small clove garlic, minced

1 tsp capers, rinsed and roughly chopped

1 tbsp grated pecorino or parmesan

1 tbsp grated swiss cheese

50g fresh mozzarella, finely diced

Juice of ¼ lemon

Sea salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 190˚C / 375˚F.

For the quick pickled shallots, place the shallot slices in a small non-metal bowl and add the vinegar, and sugar, and about 1 tablespoon of water. Stir and leave to pickle while you prepare the rest of your salad.

Place the butternut squash on a large baking tray (or two if you need it) and drizzle over the olive oil. Toss to coat well, and then arrange the slices in a single layer on the tray. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until the squash is tender and golden. Remove from the oven, and season with sea salt and black pepper. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, place the lentils in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water and add 2 pinches of salt. Cook for 20-25 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Drain and set aside to cool.

Prepare the sauce by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl.

Place the squash in a large mixing bowl, along with the lentils, olives and a few of the pickled shallots. Add about half the sauce, and toss gently to combine. To serve, place ¾ of the rocket on a plate, and top with the squash mixture. Dollop the rest of the sauce on top, and scatter over a few more pickled shallots.

* use as much of the pickled shallots as you like. If you don’t use them all, you can store them, in their pickling liquid, in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 14 days.

Sticky Date Olive Oil Cake with Chai Poached Pears

Inspired by sticky date pudding, an Australian and British dessert icon (and a favourite dessert of mine), this sticky date olive oil cake is characterised by its bold flavors. This vegan cake is moist without being gooey or dense, with a delicate and light crumb. The addition of olive oil delivers an irresistible savoury and ever-so-slight peppery undertone, which pairs wonderfully with the aromatic, chai spiced pears. This cake is dark, light and bright, bursting with intriguing flavors.

Serve a slice with vanilla ice cream (vegan if you prefer) topped off with a drizzle of olive oil!

Serves 8-10

Vegan

Chai spiced poached pears

2 cups (500ml) water

½ cup (100g) brown sugar

2 chai tea bags

4 small firm pears (beurre bosc or bartlett variety work well)

extra virgin olive oil, for serving

Sticky date olive oil cake

1 ¼ cup (200g) pitted dates (I used medjool), roughly chopped

2 tbsp flaxseeds

1 ¼ cup (300ml) unsweetened almond milk

7 fl oz (207ml) Lucini Everyday Extra Virgin Olive Oil

175g (2/3 cup) brown sugar

1 2/3 cups (200g) self-rising flour*

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or mixed spice)

½ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Grease and line a 9 inch (22cm) spring form tin.

In a medium saucepan (big enough to fit four pears), add the water, sugar, tea bags and place on medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, and then simmer on low heat until the sugar has melted. While simmering, peel the pears (leave the stems), and slice a ½ inch strip off the bottom so the pears sit flat. Remove the core with a melon baller or small teaspoon and scoop out the pips from the bottom of the pear. Place the pears in the poaching liquid, cover with a lid and poach on gentle rolling heat for 15-20 minutes until a knife easily inserts into the pear. Set the pears aside to cool in the liquid. Discard the tea bags.

Place the dates, flaxseeds and almond milk into a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the dates are soft. Place the date mixture into a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth. Add the olive oil and whizz again to combine. Set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, add the brown sugar, self-rising flour, baking soda, spice and salt, and whisk to combine and to get rid of any lumps. Add the olive oil date mixture and stir well. Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake tin, smoothing out the top with a spatula. Nestle the pears to stand upright into the batter (the bottom half of the pear should be covered), in a circular formation so the pears are evenly spread out. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Set aside to cool for 8-10 minutes.

While the pears are baking, bring the pear poaching liquid back to the boil and simmer on high heat until reduced and thick, about 5-6 minutes. While the cake is still warm, brush or spoon the syrup over the cake, allowing the liquid to absorb into the cake before adding more. Keep a little of the syrup aside for serving.

To serve, serve slices of the cake with a scoop of ice cream (vegan, if you prefer!) and finish with a tiny drizzle of olive oil over the ice cream.

Whole Smoked Cauliflower with tahini, olives and currants

Your cauliflower can simply be roasted in the oven, but I also like to smoke it for a much more intense flavour. It’s very simple to do – if you have a smoker grill, use that. If you don’t, you can use your conventional barbecue and add a pouch made of tinfoil, filled with smoking chips (easily found at hardware stores or online). Check out this youtube video which shows you how to make your own smoking pouch.

Place the currants in a small bowl and pour over the vinegar. Allow to soak for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 225°C.

Place the trimmed cauliflower head on a piece of foil and pour over the olive oil. Scatter with paprika, cumin and a huge pinch of sea salt and black pepper, and using your hands, massage the oil and spices into the cauliflower. If you are roasting in an oven, transfer the cauliflower and foil to a baking tray and place in hot oven. Roast for 60-90 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender all the way through. Test for readiness with a bamboo skewer or long knife. If the cauliflower becomes too dark while cooking, cover the top with foil.

Alternately, heat a barbecue or smoker to the hottest setting.

If you are smoking your cauliflower on a smoker grill, heat it for 10 minutes on the smoker setting. Once it starts to smoke, place the cauliflower and foil straight onto the grill and leave to cook for 2-3 hours. If you are using a conventional barbecue, place the smoking pouch (see introduction for instructions) straight onto your grill, and allow it to heat for 5 minutes. Once you see smoke coming out of the hole, place your cauliflower (on the foil) straight onto the grill. Reduce heat to medium, and allow to smoke and cook for 30 minutes. Check the underside of your cauliflower during cooking – if it starts to burn, reduce heat or add another layer or two of foil.

Whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and salt until smooth and creamy. Add the water, a tablespoon at a time, and whisk until smooth. The sauce will become thick as you whisk – simply add more water and keep whisking until it is the consistency of thickened cream.

To serve, place the cauliflower on a serving plate, and drizzle over the lemon tahini. Scatter over the balsamic soaked currants, olives and parsley. Serve with a serrated knife to carve at the table. Eat warm or at room temperature.

Potato Puttanesca

I love the story of puttanesca, a sauce as salacious in meaning, as it is pungent in flavour. Puttanesca literally translates ‘in the style of prostitutes," referring to its Neapolitan roots when prostitutes would engage the heady aromas of garlic, anchovies, capers, and olives tossed with pasta to lure customers to their doors. Whether this story is true or not, I am still always drawn to food with a juicy backstory.

This salad is puttanesca reinvented – the punchy sauce, made with pantry staples of olives, capers and balsamic vinegar, is used to dress roasted potatoes. It’s deeply satisfying and beaming with flavour. If you want an even heartier dish, add a short pasta such as orecchiette or cavatelli to create a classic pasta and potato salad.

To make the puttanesca sauce, place the tomatoes in a bowl, and add the olives, capers, red pepper flakes, balsamic vinegar and stir. Season with pinch of sea salt and black pepper and set aside. As it sits, the acid and salt will draw out moisture from the tomatoes, creating a saucy texture.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to the boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 10 minutes, until they are par-boiled and slightly softened. Drain. Place the potatoes on a baking tray, cover in olive oil, season with sea salt and roast in a hot oven for 20-25 minutes, until golden and tender.

Combine the potatoes with the puttanesca sauce and borlotti beans. Toss well to combine. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Top with herbs to finish and serve warm or at room temperature.

Seaweed soba noodles

Hijiki is very efficient in soaking up punchy flavors. This mixture (before adding the noodles) is wonderful eaten with brown rice, or can be used to make onigiri. Make a large portion and keep it in a sealed container in your fridge (for up to one week). Here, I’ve added some chilled soba noodles for a complete meal.

Serves 4

Ingredients

30 grams dried hijiki seaweed

270 grams soba noodles

1 large carrot, peeled

1 leek (white part only) or 4 scallions

200 grams shiitake mushroom

½ inch piece of ginger

1 tbsp sunflower oil

3 tbsp soy sauce or tamari

2 tbsp mirin

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp sesame oil

3 scallions, finely sliced

sea salt

white pepper

2 tbsp sesame seeds (white, black or both), toasted

Directions

Soak the hijiki in a large bowl of water for 30 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and add the soba noodles. Cook, stirring with wooden chopsticks every now and then to separate the noodles, for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the noodles are cooked al dente. Drain immediately and refresh under cold running water. When completely cold, place the noodles in the fridge to chill. The soba noodles can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge until ready to use.

Drain and rinse the hijiki seaweed very well under running water. Allow to drain again and pat dry with a paper towel.

While the hijiki is soaking, cut the carrot into thin matchsticks. Slice the leek and shiitake mushrooms finely. Finely slice the ginger into razor thin matchsticks.

In a skillet over medium heat, add the sunflower oil. When the oil is hot, add the carrot, hijiki and ginger and stir fry on medium heat until the carrots are half cooked, about 3 to 4 minutes. Throw the shiitake mushrooms and leek into the pan, and toss everything together. Add the soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar and sugar, turn down the heat to low and simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes. Once cooked, add the sesame oil and mix well. Remove from the heat.

Combine the chilled soba noodles with half the hijiki and the scallions, and toss everything together. Season with a big pinch of sea salt and a small pinch of white pepper. To serve, add another spoonful or two of hijiki on top of the noodles and scatter with sesame seeds.

Laksa Noodle Soup (From Peddler Journal)

This recipe is reprinted with the permission of Peddler Journal, the multicultural food magazine from Hetty McKinnon. The recipe appears in the first issue, themed Chinatown.

In Australia, it is not hard to find a delicious bowl of laksa - Malaysian laksa noodle soups are a staple of shopping centre food courts. This wonderful and nourishing noodle bowl brims with vegetables, noodles and herbs, swimming in a richly aromatic coconut broth.

Serves 2

Laksa soup

3 small eschalots, peeled and roughly chopped1 large clove garlic, peeled and sliced

To make the laksa paste, whiz together the eschalots, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, ground coriander, red chilli flakes, sriracha, vegetable oil and coriander. Process this into a smooth paste. Heat a little oil in a pan and add the laksa paste, cooking on low heat for 8-10 minutes, until fragrant. Stir often to prevent burning. Stir in the coconut milk, vegetable broth, curry leaves and season with sea salt and sugar. Continue to simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. Squeeze in some lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to the boil and add the noodles and cook according to packet instructions. When the noodles are al dente, drain, refresh in cold water and drain again.

Add the tofu into the broth. Divide the noodles into 2 bowls and pour over the broth. Top with bean sprouts, and any of the garnishes you are using.

Roasted gold beets, lentils + lemon-saffron yoghurt

This recipe appears in my book Neighbourhood, published by Plum Books in Australia, and Roost Books in USA.

Place the beets on a large baking tray, drizzle over 2–3 tablespoons of olive oil and the white balsamic vinegar. Season well with salt and pepper and roast for 30–35 minutes, or until the beets are tender.

Place the lentils in a saucepan and cover with plenty of cold water. Add a big pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 20–25 minutes or until just tender. Drain.

To make the lemon-saffron yogurt, place the saffron strands in a small bowl and pour over 2 tablespoons of boiling water. Allow to steep for 10 minutes. When ready, add the yogurt to the saffron and water and stir to combine. Add the olive oil, squeeze in the lemon juice, and season well with salt and pepper.

To serve, combine the beets with the lentils and all the herbs. Fold the yogurt through, season with salt and pepper, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

Spinach & Garlic Chive Dumplings

This recipe combines my two favorite dumplings at Dim Sum: spinach and garlic chive. This hot water dumpling dough is incredibly easy to work with. The just-boiled water breaks down the gluten, producing a resilient dough that doesn’t bounce back when rolled, and stands up well to pan-frying and steaming. You can choose to cook these dumplings either as pot stickers or steamed. I have included instructions for both methods.

Wrappers: Add the flour and salt into a large heatproof bowl (resting on a tea towel to prevent the bowl moving around) and make a well in the center. Using wooden chopsticks (or wooden spoon), stir the flour as you add the water in a steady stream until the flour is lumpy. Using your hands (be careful, the dough will be hot), knead the dough in the bowl until the mixture comes together. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured benchtop and knead the dough for about 2 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or place in a ziplock bag, and allow it to steam in the plastic for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Lightly dust your work surface again. Roll out your dough as thin as you can (about ⅛ inch is great). Using a floured 3.5-inch cookie cutter, cut out rounds and cover them with a damp cloth. Re-roll any dough offcuts and cut out more dumpling wrappers.

To wrap: Place some filling in the middle of a wrapper and fold over. Pinch together one corner and working from one corner to the other, pleat just one edge of the wrapper, sealing as you go. Alternately, you can crimp both edges as you wish. Find your own style. When you have sealed all the way, shape into a neat crescent shape.

Place your dumplings on a baking sheet, lined with baking paper, and cover with a cloth. If you don’t want to cook immediately, freeze them in a single layer, and then remove from baking sheet and store frozen dumplings in ziplock bag. They can be pan-fried or steamed from frozen, without thawing.

For Potstickers: Heat a large skillet on medium, drizzle 1 teaspoon of sunflower oil (or other neutral oil) and, once hot, place a few dumplings to the skillet, making sure to space them out so they don’t stick together. Leave them to cook on one side for 1-2 minutes, until the underside is slightly golden. Very carefully add ¼ cup of water into the skillet and immediately cover with a lid. Reduce heat to low and allow the liquid to boil and sizzle for another 2-3 minutes. The potstickers are ready when all the liquid has evaporated and the dumpling skin is puffed up. Remove from the pan immediately and continue cooking the rest of the dumplings.

For steamed dumplings: Line a steaming basket with cabbage or baking paper. Arrange the dumplings in the basket, spacing them out so they don’t stick together. Bring a medium pot of water to the boil and place the basket on top of the pot. Cover and steam for 10-12 minutes, until the wrappers are puffed up. Repeat until all the dumplings are cooked.

Eggplant + brown rice bowl with turmeric tahini

This bowl is perfect as a weeknight meal because it is incredibly adaptable. If you don’t have eggplant on hand, you could use cauliflower, sweet potato, beets or Brussels sprouts instead. You can sub in whatever legumes you like, or use quinoa or another grain in place of the brown rice. Consider flavoring your tahini with harissa, herbs or citrus. Think of this recipe’s formula - vegetables + legume + grain + tahini sauce – as an excellent base for building your own comforting bowl of goodness.

Serves 4-5

3 medium sized eggplants (2 lb.), sliced into ½-inch thick discs

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp za’atar

1 can garbanzo beans, drained

3-4 cups cooked brown rice

¼ cup pomegranate seeds

½ cup coriander leaves

¼ cup mint leaves

sea salt and black pepper

Turmeric Tahini½ cup tahini

6 tbsp water

½ tsp ground turmeric

1 ½ tsp maple syrup

1 small clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp lemon juice

sea salt

Preheat oven to 400˚F.

On a large baking tray, add the eggplant and drizzle with about 2-3 tablespoons of oil. Scatter over the za’atar and a big pinch of sea salt. Using your hands, toss well to make sure the eggplant is well coated. Place the eggplant discs flat on the tray and roast in a hot oven for 15 minutes. Take the tray out of the oven, flip the discs over and roast for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and season with a touch more sea salt and black pepper.

In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini and water until you have a smooth, thick paste. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and season with sea salt.

In an individual size serving bowl, add some rice, eggplant and garbanzo beans. Add the pomegranate seeds, mint and cilantro. Generously drizzle the turmeric tahini over the top.

Shishito peppers

serves 2 as a snack

gf | vg

340g (3/4 lb) shishito peppers

extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (white, black or combination)

sea salt

Sesame sauce

3 tbsp tahini

2 tbso water

1 small clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp mirin

1 tsp rice wine vinegar

sea salt and black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini and water until smooth. Add the garlic, sesame oil, mirin, and rice wine vinegar and blend together until smooth. Season with sea salt and black pepper.

Place a large skillet on high heat, add a drizzle of oil and add the shishito peppers. Cook on high heat, shaking the skillet often to move the peppers around, until blistered. Remove and place onto

Honey baked eggplant

This dish is inspired by a popular Catalan tapas dish, crispy fried eggplant with honey. A rich and big-flavored vegetarian dish, the silky, slightly sweet eggplant and the soufflé-like ricotta mixture provide a lightness that is hard to resist. If you can’t find manchego, substitute with parmesan cheese, but use less, about 1 cup should be fine.

Serves 6

5-6 tbsp runny honey

1 cup (250ml) olive oil

juice ½ lemon

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 tsp ground coriander

4 medium, sliced lengthways into ½ cm (1/5 inch) thick

2 cups (500g) fresh whole milk ricotta

3 eggs, beaten

½ cup (125ml) heavy cream

2 cups (226g) grated manchego cheese

sea salt and black pepper

Tomato Sauce

1 onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 cups (750g or about 2 large cans) chopped tomatoes

handful of fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, oregano), roughly chopped

2 tsp sugar

Preheat oven to 375˚F (190˚C).

To make the tomato sauce, place all the ingredients in a large pan, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and turn down to simmer for 30-35 minutes, until thick and richly flavored. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the honey, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and coriander. Season well with sea salt and black pepper. Oil a large baking tray. Dip each piece of eggplant into the honey mixture, and place them onto the oiled baking tray. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, until soft and golden.

Place the ricotta, eggs, heavy cream into a medium bowl, and whisk to combine. Add the manchego cheese and mix well. Season with sea salt and black pepper.

In a large gratin, place one layer of eggplant, followed by a layer of tomato and then the cheese. Repeat, alternating the layers, until all the eggplant has been used. You should finish with a layer of cheese. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, until the surface is golden and looks soufflé-like. Serve with a green salad, and some bread to mop up the sauce!

Before roasting, I like to shallow-fry the eggplant and zucchini to soften them and start the process of caramelization. Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan. Add some of the eggplant slices in a single layer, sprinkle with salt and pan-fry, turning often, until slightly softened and golden on both sides.

Repeat, adding more olive oil between batches, until all the eggplant slices have been cooked, then repeat with the zucchini. Set aside.

In a large roasting pan, combine the onion, garlic, bell peppers, tomatoes, red wine vinegar, herbes de Provençe, and 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and roast for 25 minutes until the tomatoes and peppers are soft. Remove the tomatoes and peppers from the pan, add the eggplant, zucchini, and green beans and roast for another 20 to 25 minutes, until all the vegetables are very tender. Season to taste.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, add the lentils and a big pinch of salt, and simmer over medium heat for around 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender but still have a bite to them. Drain.

To serve, combine the roasted vegetables with the lentils, olives, arugula and parsley. Season well and finish with a good drizzle of oil.

for vegan, omit feta and replace yogurt with tahini in equal quantities

Serves 4

3 medium eggplant (about 800g), trimmed

2 tbsp olive oil

3-4 cups cooked brown rice

2 (tightly packed) cups baby rocket (arugula) or spinach leaves

¼ (tightly packed) cup mint leaves

100g feta, crumbled

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (white, black or both)

½ pomegranate, seeds removed

Sea salt and black pepper

Turmeric tahini yoghurt

1/3 cup yogurt

1 tbsp water

1 tsp maple syrup

1 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp turmeric

sea salt and black pepper, to taste

To make the turmeric yoghurt, combine the yoghurt and water and mix until smooth. You are looking for the consistency of thick cream – if it is too thick, slowly add more water, a teaspoon at a time. Add the maple, tahini, olive oil and turmeric, and stir to combine. Season with sea salt and black pepper.

Slice the eggplant into 1cm thick slices and coat in the olive oil. Heat up the barbecue (or a griddle pan on the stovetop), and char-grill the eggplant for 2-3 minutes on each side until soft and cooked through. Sprinkle over sea salt and set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, add a big spoonful (or two) of brown rice, toss in a handful of rocket and spinach, a scatter of mint leaves and top with a few slices of eggplant. Spoon over some turmeric yogurt, and scatter over the feta, sesame seeds and pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately.

Ginger + Scallion Miso-Glazed Eggplant

Ginger is to the Chinese what garlic is to everyone else. Almost every dish my mother cooks either starts off with or incorporates ginger. For seafood, ginger helps eradicate the piscine odor. In stir fries, ginger flavors the oil before other ingredients are cooked in it and also tenderizes the meat. In jook (congee), ginger is often a healing ingredient.

Combine the ginger, scallions, salt, vinegar and soy/tamari in a bowl. Heat the oil over a medium heat until it just starts to bubble; this should take about 3-4 minutes. Take off the heat immediately and add it to the ginger scallion mix, taking care not to burn yourself, as the oil will spit when it makes contact with the ginger and scallion mix. Allow to cool.

Keep extra ginger scallion sauce in an airtight, sterilized jar in the refrigerator.

Ginger-Scallion + Miso Glazed Eggplant

Serves 4-6

6 Japanese eggplants, halved lengthways

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 tsp white sesame seeds, toasted

2 scallions, finely chopped

Handful of cilantro leaves, to serve

Rice, to serve (optional)

For the Ginger Scallion Miso Glaze

2 tbsp white miso paste

3 tbsp ginger scallion sauce

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp white sesame seeds, toasted

Preheat oven to 375˚F/190˚C. Place the halved eggplant onto a large baking tray and brush both sides with sesame oil. Roast in the hot oven for 20-25 minutes, turning over halfway through, until the eggplant is tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

Arrange a rack in the upper third of your oven and switch the heat to broil (grill).

For the glaze, whisk the miso paste with 2 tablespoons of water. When smooth, add in the ginger scallion sauce and half the sesame seeds. With the cut half of the eggplant facing up, smear a generous amount of the glaze onto each eggplant slice. Return to the oven and broil (grill) for 4-5 minutes until the eggplant is golden and starting to char.

To serve, scatter with remaining sesame seeds, fresh scallions and cilantro. Eat on its own as a starter or serve with rice.

Brassica Caesar with cannellini beans and cashew Caesar cream

You can make cream from almost any nut, but my favorite are cashews. They produce a lovely buttery cream which can be used in place of cheese, cream, mayonnaise and sour cream. I add cashew cream to soup, casseroles, gratins and even macaroni cheese. Often I will add a dash of vanilla and a slick of maple syrup and eat it as you would yogurt.

This cashew Caesar cream is indulgent and bursting with flavor. The capers add a punchy piquant edge and for Caesar lovers, this salad will surprise you. The clever bunch of veggies known as brassicas – cruciferous crops such as broccoli, kale, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts – are the perfect, hearty base for your Caesar salad. Add some legumes such as creamy cannellini beans, and you have a deeply satisfying main-meal salad.

Soak your nuts in the morning before you leave for work, and they will be ready to blitz when you get home. However, don’t soak your nuts overnight as they become chunky.

Serves 4

100g stale bread (or good quality store-bought croutons)

2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves roughly torn

1 head of broccoli (500g), cut into florets

1 can cannellini beans, drained

¼ cup sunflower seeds, toasted

¼ cup parsley (tightly packed), chopped

Sea salt and black pepper

Cashew Caesar Cream

6 small cloves garlic, plus 1 small clove

1 cup cashews, soaked in 1 cup of boiling water for 2-8 hours

¾ cup of vegetable broth or water

2 tsp capers

2 tsp lemon juice

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

pinch sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400˚F.

Roughly dice the stale bread into ½-inch pieces, place on a baking tray, coat in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake in the oven until golden, about 15 minutes, turning once to make sure the croutons are evenly browned on all sides. Cool.

On another baking tray, add the broccoli florets along with the 6 cloves of garlic (still in their skin) which will be used for the Caesar dressing. Drizzle over some olive oil, and place in the hot oven, and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until the broccoli are just starting to turn golden. Remove from the oven, set aside the garlic cloves for the dressing, and season the broccoli with sea salt.

Drain cashews. Squeeze out the garlic from their skins and place the paste into a high-speed blender, along with the cashews and the rest of the dressing ingredients (except the salt). If you would like your dressing extra potent, you can crush in another small clove of garlic. Blend on high until everything is very smooth (if it is too thick, you can add a few more splashes of water). Season well with sea salt.

In a large bowl, add the kale leaves with a drizzle 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and a big pinch of salt, and massage to soften the leaves. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, then add the roasted broccoli, cannellini beans, croutons, and parsley and toss to combine. Add the cashew Caesar dressing, and mix well. To serve, scatter over the sunflower seeds.

In a hot wok or large frypan, heat the 1-2 tablespoons of oil for just a few seconds, then add the brown and white rice. Toss and turn the rice, breaking it up, until it is heated through and there is some golden color and crispy bits. Add the ginger scallion sauce and the asparagus and toss well for 1-2 minutes until the asparagus is just tender (I like the asparagus to retain some crunch). Season with sea salt and black pepper.

In a nonstick pan, add some oil and fry the eggs, sunny side up, until the edges are set but the yolk is still runny (alternatively, you can fry the egg to your individual liking).

To serve, place the rice on a dish and top with the fried egg. Finish with a drizzle of ginger scallion sauce and a scatter of fresh scallions over the top of the egg.